Envelope-transfer mechanism



Jan. 17, 1928.

A. NOVICK ENvELoPE TRANSFER MEcHANIsM Fileklmaroh 24, 192:5

Jan. 17,1928.

1,656,289 A. NovlcK y ENVELOPE TRANSFER MEGHANISM Filed March 24. 1925 2sheets-sheet 2 Patented Jan. 17, 1928.

UNITED sTATEs N l 1,656,289 PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM NOVICK, BROOKLYN, N EW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO F. L. SMITHE MACHINECOMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA'LIION 0F NEW YORK.

ENVELOPE-TRANSEER MECHANISM.

Application filed March 24, 1923. Serial No. 627,332.

\\ This invention relates to envelope transfer mechanismand has for itsobject to provide means for transferring envelopes or the like frommechanism which advances the envelopes in spaced apart relation tomechanism which advances the envelopes in underlapped relation, and toprovide means, eflieient at high speed, for thus underlapping saidenvelopes. f

To these ends and .others which will appear later herein my improvementscomprise features illustrated in "their preferred embodiment in thedrawings accompanyingr this specification wherein Figure 1 is asectional side elevation on line 1, 1 of Fig. 2, of

my improved mechanism and Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding therewith,those parts above line 2, 2 in Fig. 1, being omitted. Traveling conveyor3 may comprise an 2o endless chain supported on opposite sprock# ets 4,5. Sprocket 4 is mounted for free rotation onlshaft 6 having bearings inside frames 7, 8 and sprocket 5is fixed to shaft 9 having bearings inthe side frames 10, 11. It 26 will be understood that side frames 7, 8,10,

11 are supported from a common base of known character not shown, andare maintained in fixed relation by said base. Evenly spaced apartlengthwise said conveyor chain 3 are a plurality of grippers 12, 13 andsaid grippers are provided with seats as 14 to gripper 12, for grippingtherebetween a sheet or envelope presented thereto. Said grippers arepivotally mounted on said chain and are spring closed. Each gripper, as12, is provided with a toe 15 for engagement with hub 16 of sprocket 5`at the receiving station and with hub 17 of sprocket 4 at the transferstation for lifting said grippers at predetermined times.

lVhere chain 3 passes off from sprocket 5 is the receiving station forthe envelopes relatively to said conveyor chain and the envelopes arepresented successively thereat by means of coacting rolls 18, 19.Said-roll 19 is fixed to shaft 2O, having bearings in side frames 10,11. Rolls 18, 18 are fixed to the inreached ends of opposite shortshafts 21, 22 and said shafts are mounted in the `free ends of arms as23 to shaft 21. Said arm is pivotally mounted on stud 24 inreaching fromframe 10 and spring 25 is efficient for urging one of rolls 18 tocoaction with roll 19. As the envelopes are usually delivered to saidrolls 'with the gum on the seal flaps in um-lried condition, a portionof the peripheries of rolls 18, 18 are cut away, so as to clear saidliaps. For directing the envelopes from rolls 18, 19 onto seat 14 forgripping, guides 26 supported froml fixed shaft 27 are provided. Roll 19is suitably grooved at 28, 28 to permit the passage of said guidesthereacross;

Above rolls 18, 19 are shown creasing rolls 29, 30 adapted for formingthe seal flap crease in the envelope and for delivering the envelope torolls 18, 19. Inreaching from frames 7, 8 are side guides 31, 32 forsupporting and guiding the overhanging ends of the envelopes as theenvelopes are advanced by the conveyor chain 3.

Atthe transfer station, fixed'in spaced apart relation on shaft 6 aretoothedretarding members 33, 34. These members are ofratchet-like--formation having a plurality of teeth as to member 33,said teeth being adapted and actuated for successive presentation in thepath of the envelopes as those envelopes are advanced by chain.3 to thetransfer station.

Subsequent to said transfer station is means for further advancing theenvelopes in underlapped relation, comprising traveling belt 36 onpulleys 37, 38. -Said'pulleys are fixed to shafts 39, 40 respectivelyhaving bearings in side frames 7, 8. Between the receiving end-of saidbelt, on pulley 37 and retarding members 33, 34, there is preferablyintroduced rolls 41, 42 turning freely on shaft 43 adjustably supportedfrom cross rod 44, on arms 45, 46, for assisting the envelopes frommembers 33, 34 onto belt 36. For retaining the envelopes in sequentialrelation on belt 36, opposite narrow belts ork cords 47, 48 may beemployed. Said cords travel at the same speedas belt 36 and are arrangedthereabove on suitable pulleys as 49, 5 0, above retarding members 33,34, turning freely on shaft 51 adjustably supported from cross rod 44,on arms 52, 53. Said cords pass over pulleys 54, respectively, turningfreely on rod 44 and thence about pulley 56 above pulley 38. Sald pulley1s fixed to shaft 58 having bearings in sideV frames 7, 8.

The gearing for transmitting motron to the several shafts and forsuitably timlng those shafts is as follows: Assumin that shaft 60 ofroll'3() is the driving shal t, sald Shaft has gear 62 fixed thereto formeshing with equal gear 61 fixed to shaft 59. From sprocket 63 fixed toshaft 60, chain 4 drives sprocket 65 fixed to shaft 66 and sprocket 67fixed to shaft 6G through chain 68 drives sprocket 69 fixed to shaft 6.The relative diameters of sprockets 63, 65, 67 and 69 are such as tocause retarding members 33, 34 to rotate one tooth space for eachrotation of shaft 6() and roll 30 fixed thereto.

Gear 62 fixed to shaft 60, through intermediate gear 70, drives gear 71fixedto shaft 20 and gear 71 meshes with equal gear 72 fixed to shaft21. Gear 81 fixed to shaft 20 through intermediate gear 73 drives gear74 fixed to shaft 9, see Fig. 2. The relative diameters of gears 62 and71 gives equal surface speed to rolls 30 and 19 and the relativediameters of gears 62 and 74 causes chain` 3 to advance a distance equalto the distance between consecutive grippers 12, 13 for each rotation ofroll 30.

Sprocket 7 5 fixed to shaft 6 drives, through chain 76, sprocket 77fixed to shaft 40 and gear 78 fixed to said shaft 40 meshes with equalgear 79 fixed to shaft 58 whereby belt 36 and cords 47 are driven at alinear speed equal to the peripheral speed of retarding members 33, 34.

The operation of my improved transfer mechanism is as follows: Envelopesbeing fed by some known means not shown, to rolls, 29, 30, in propertime, one envelope for each rotation of said rolls, and, preferablycreased in transit, said envelopes are delivered consecutively to rolls18, 19 and thence over guides 26 onto chain seats, as 14, where gripper12, as its toe 15 passes over hub 16, descends and grips the leadingbottom edge of the envelope to seat 1,4. Said gripper then advances tothe transfer station where it is lifted by hub 17 just as the leadingend of the envelope engages the upstanding teeth of retarding members33, 34 whereby said envelope is slowed down to the speed of belt 36 andis delivered thereonto over roll 42, cords 47, 48 being efficient forholding the envelope down against said belt. As thevnext envelope isadvanced by the next gripper on chain 3, said envelope is carried underthe envelope just in advance thereof and positioned by the next'Succeeding teeth of retarding members 33.'

34 and thence delivered to belt 36. Cords 47, 48 engage, more or less,the gummed faces ofthe envelope flaps but those cords are of such smalldia-meter that such engagement is negligible.

`I claim:

1. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of means foradvancing a plurality of envelopes serially in spaced apart` relation,means for thereafter advancing said envelopes serially in underlappedrelation, and means interposed between said two advancing means forretarding the envelopes one at a time and arranging each envelope inunderlapping relation to the envelope which precedes it.

2. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of means foradvancing a plutwo sets of advancing means, the Iteeth of which wheelare adapted and arranged for engaging and retarding the envelopesrespectively delivered thereto by said first advancing means and forreleasing said envelopes in underlaid relation to said second advancingmeans.

3. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of a traveling beltadaptedi for receiving a succession of envelopes in underlappedrelation, a rotating toothed wheel adjacent the receiving end of saidbelt arranged to operate on the envelopes from below the path thereof,and means for successively advancing `a plurality of envelopes againstsuccessive teeth, the advancement being slower than the envelopeadvancement thereto, whereby said envelopes are successivelyunderlapped.

4. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of a travelingconveyor, means carried by said conveyor for gripping an envelope, areceiving station for-the envelopes, means for presenting envelopessuccessively at said receiving station, means at said receiving stationfor causing said gripping means to grip a presented envelope, a transferstation for said envelopes, means at said transfer station for causingsaid gripping means to release a gripped envelope, a. retreating stop atsaid transfer station adapted for receiving thereagainst an envelopereleased by said gripping means, means subsequent to said transferstation for further advancing the envelopes, and means for causing saidstop to retreat for conveying the envelope to said further advancingmeans.

5. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of a travelingconveyor, means carried by said conveyor for gripping an envelope, areceiving station for the envelopes, means for presenting envelopessuecessively at said receiving station, means at said receiving stationforl causing said gripping means to grip a presented envelope, atransfer station for said envelopes, means at said transfer station forcausing said gripping means to release a gripped envelope, a rotatingtoothed retarding member adapted and actuated for presenting a tooth inthe path of an envelope released at the transfer station, and meanssubsequent to said transfer station for further advancing the envelopes.

6. In an envelope transfer mechanism the lim lll)

]acent the receiving end of said belt, said wheel being arranged to haveits teeth rise successively into envelope intercepting position, and atraveling conveyor adapted for delivering successive envelopes againstsuccessive teeth respectively of said wheel.

7. AIn an envelope transfer mechanism, means for positively conveyinggummed envelopes at high speed to a transfer station, means traveling atlower speed than said first means for positively retarding the envelopesand positioning them in closer space relation so that they lap oneanother, without permitting the gumined portions to contact otherenvelopes, and means for further advancing the so-positionedenvelopes.

8. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of means forserially advancing` a plurality of envelopes at high speed in spacedrelation, a second slower moving means coaxial with one end of saidfirst means for positively retarding the said envelopes and advancingthem in closer space relation, and a third means adjacent the saidsecond means for further advancing the said envelopes.

9. In an envelope transfer mechanism the combination of means foradvancing a plurality of envelopes serially in spaced relation, a secondmeans forI retarding one of said envelopes while the next subsequentenvelope is pulled underneath the said first envelope by the said firstmeans, and a third means for further advancing so-underlapped envelopes.

10. In an envelope transfer mechanism, the combination of meansoperating at high speed for feeding a plurality of envelope blanks oneat a time, a second means for advancing said envelopes in lappedrelation at a slow speed, and means for positively i'etarding theenvelopes and for transferring them from said high speed means to saidslow speed means.

11. In an envelope transfer mechanism, the combination of means forconveying envelopes at a slow speed, means for serially conveyingenvelopes at a high speed, and means for underlapping the envelopes andtransferring them in underlapped relation to the slow speed means, saidmeans comprising positive stop means travellingr at slow speed forretarding the envelope rom high to low speed and for holding a precedingenvelope in position While the subsequent envelope is being pulled underthe said preceding one, and positive feed mechanism for advancing theenvelopes at the high speed into the said underlapping position.

12. In an envelope transfer mechanism,

the combinationpof a slow speed dryer conveyor, a high speed conveyor,and a positive arresting and aligning means travelling at the speed ofsaid` slow lspeed conveyor for retarding the envelopes from the speed of-the high speed conveyor to that of the slow speed conveyor and causingthem to be delivered to the slow speed conveyoi' in predetermined,lapped relation:

13.I In an envelope transfer mechanism, the combination of means foradvancing a plurality of'envelopes lone after the other in` spacedrelation, a rotating toothed wheel for retarding the envelopes one at atime while the subsequent envelope is inserted beneath the precedingone, and means for thereafter advancing the envelopes in underlappedrelation, said second advancing means comprising va work engaging memberextending in proximity to the rotating ioothed wheel, the teeth of saidwheel being shaped so that each tooth will lift the envelope retarded bythe preceding tooth in order to provide space enabling the nextsucceedingl envelope to be drawn into underlapplng posi;`

tion, said lifted envelope being pressed by said tooth into feedingengagement with said work engaging member so as to cause the envelope tobe advanced thereby without disarraiigement from its aligned position.

14. In an envelope machine, thevcombina tion of means for advancing aplurality of envelopes, each having gum alongy one margin thereof, inspaced relation, means for thereafter advancing said envelopes inlapping relation, and means interposed between said advancing means forretarding the envelopes one at a time and arranging them in lappingrelation without causing said gummed margins to contact other envelopes,said retarding means being operable from the ungummed side of theenvelopes and arranged to engage and retard the advancing envelopes byengagement with an edge remote from the gummed margin.

15. In an envelope transferring mechanism, the combination of a highspeed conveyor, a low speed conveyor, and an interposed envelopeunderlapping and transferring means comprising a toothed wheel rotatableabout an axis below the active stretch of the high speed conveyor andoperating in intersecting relation to the plane of the envelopes on saidhigh speed conveyor so that each tooth rises in turn into envelopeintercepting position, and in so rising engages tlie lower face of theenvelope preceding the one which it is to intercept and lifts suchpreceding envelope away from the high speed conveyor.

In witness whereof, I hereby affix my signature this 23rd day of March,1923.

ABRAHAM NOVICK.

